Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-07-21
WHERE GEN. CUSTER FELL.
Visit to the Field With TIE Indian Who Led
The Massacre.


The Massacre.
New York World.
To-day is the anniversary of the Custer
massacre. [ have just returned from the
field where so many brave men fell.
There can hardly be sadder, lOneiier,
or more dreary-looking spot In all the
United States. A worn and weather
beaten monument crowns the highest
point of the battlefield. The shaft is
rapidly disintegrating under the combin-
ed influences of burning suns, driving
rains, winter storms, and whitening winds.
When this piece of stone shall have
crumbled to dust-which, from present
indications, is not far distant-there will
be nothing left to mark the spot Or tell
whose dust lies moldering below.
oUsrER's MONUMENT AND OTHER GRAVES.
The part of the valley of the Little
Horn River which was the scene OF the
disaster of June %, 1876, is about four
teen miles above this post, on the right
and left banks of the clear Lesser Horn,
as it winds down through the valley from
the Big Horn range. 1t was hap-hazard
selection for Battle ground, and slight
" more favorable to the soldiers than to
the red men, otherwise, instead of Maj.
Reno and his handful of men escaping
after terribly close conflict, in which
defeat meant humiliation and nothing
else, not one man would have been left
alive to tell the terrible story of that
dreadful June day. l have had excep-
tional opportunities for arriving at the
truth concerning the massacre, and am
convinced that neither the reds nor the
whites knew what they were about when
the battle was begun. Gen. Custer knew
that large and powerful Indian village,
was over in the Little Horn Valley some
where, and he determined, with rare
pluck though extreme rashness, TO at
tack that village in his usual pell-
style, depending upon dash and discipline
70 carry him through in spite of the
force of numbers opposed to him. Custer
made his first mistake when he divided
his forces With less than 240 men he
attempted to do what would have reGuir-
ed at least four or five regiments united
and in mass. Even with all his force
together and making a swoop down up
on the great village the chances were 6
hundred to one that he would be whipped
anyhow, and badly too.
The Indian camp was on the left side
or the 1lGGle IlOEu ClN6C, uk
and down the stream, in a lovely fertile
bottom, covered with rich heritage ano
luxurient grasses, and occupying an area
fully three miles in length aud half a
mile in width. When one considers the
size of this camp, closely packed with
lodges, tepees, and wickups, he can form
somo idea of the population it contained
It must be remembered, too, that every
red-skip in tribe-bucks, squaws, boys
maidens, and all except the papooses-
does his or her level best at fighting wher
attacked by an enemy. So it was with
Sitting Bulls village in the Little Horn
Valley. When the gAeat cavalry leader
swept down on the Indians with his usua
dash and eclat he was not checked by
bullets or arrows; no want of courage
caused him to pause and falter, but sim
ply mass of numbers got in his way, bea
him bacE step by step, Notwithstanding
the leaden hail poured into the savages
from cavalry carbines, and finally over
powered and killed every white mar
after the ammunition of the latter had beer
exhausted. Clusters men fought all they
could, fired shot after shot with telling
effect, but all to no purpose.
Indians who were in that fight have
=
Bull was not in the fight at all. Call the
big Chief was GeneralissircJ of the day
and while he was leading the bucks an6
directing the engagement old Tonkate
Tonka (Sitting- Pull was back in his medi
cine lodge making medicine. AS the In
dams wen and Sitting Bull made the medi
cine he, of coarse, got all the credit TO
the victory. One of the Indians says tina
t,le shells got stuck IN the white men,
carbines and when those weapons were
thus rendered useless as firearms tn,
poor fellows, pressed to the wall and over
powered ten to one, dubbed their guns
and fought desperately, with death star
ing them in tho face, until the last doom
ed man fell IN his tracks. When the anu
milton was exhausted the Indians walked
up, knocked them down with clubs, anG
butchered them with hatchets. Gall told
me that the main object of his yeune
men was to STAN pede the horses, which
carried the saddle pc ckets IN which eacf
soldier had stored his ammunition. The
troopers had perhaps fifty rounds apiec'
upon their persons, but the main suppl.
was IN their saddlebags being entirely toe
heavy to carry on the body. In all, the
soldiers were supplied with about 20(
rourfs per man for the fight. When thu
cavalry men were dlsmouRted TO fight OF
foot one soldier was detailed to hold
every eight horses. Gall said ne quickly
saw the advantage to be gained could tht
holses, laden with ammunition, be STAN
peded so he devised a plan to that end
He sent score or two Of young bucks Ut
a ravine TO the rear, and these embryo
warriors, unmindful of the flying lead
and the danger of the job, suddenly rose
up with yells and shouts just in front o.
the horses, swung their blankets wildly IL
the air, and every steed In the outf
broke loose from the helders and scamp
cred down the ravine towards the Littl,
Horn, where they were gathered in by thu
souaws and old men on the wait for jus